Fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (“F-POSS”) molecules are a subclass of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (“POSS”) that consists of a silicon-oxide core [SiO1.5] with a periphery of long-chain fluorinated alkyl groups. Such alkyl groups include fluorinated triethoxysilanes. F-POSS molecules possess one of the lowest known surface energies leading to the creation of superhydrophobic and oleophobic surfaces. F-POSS material forms a siloxy cage that acts like an inorganic glass-like material, but has organic Rf group substituents at the matrix apices. In an illustrative embodiment, an F-POSS structure can be as shown in formula [1] below.

Each R substituent can be labeled as, for example, R1a, R2a, R3a, R4a, R5a, R6a, R7a, or R8a such as shown in formula [2] below.

F-POSS molecules find application in material science. For example, superhydrophobic and superoleophobic surfaces have been produced using F-POSS, either cast on a substrate or blended into a polymer matrix. See for example Chhatre, S. S.; Guardado, J. O.; Moore, B. M.; Haddad, T. S.; Mabry, J. M.; McKinley, G. H.; Cohen, R. E. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2010, 2, 3544-3554; Mabry, J. M.; Vij, A.; Iacono, S. T.; Viers, B. D. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 4137-4140; Tuteja, A.; Choi, W.; Mabry, J. M.; McKinely, G. H.; Cohen, R. E. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S. Pat. No. 2,008,105, S18200/1-S18200/29; and Tuteja, A.; Choi, W.; Ma, M.; Mabry, J. M.; Mazzella, S. A.; Rutledge, G. C.; McKinley, G. H.; Cohen, R. E. Science 2007, 318, 1618-1622.
It would be desirable to provide novel functionalized F-POSS compounds for use in materials.